Why The Caged Bird Sings
by SavannahNicole
Summary: Ulquiorra thought he had killed all of her hope, broken her, but if that's the case, why is she singing?


This was not the sound Ulquiorra was use to hearing from the human prisoner's room. With each step he took towards her room, the more confused he became. Hadn't he broken her? She cried constantly, only taking a break when believing in her false hope, but anytime he sensed even the sprinkle of hope come over her, he immediately stopped it. He had to. It was Aizen's will. However, sobbing was not the sound coming from Orihime's room. It was music.

She was singing.

What compelled her to break out in such an unusual action was beyond anything he could comprehend. He killed any hope she ever had, it was impossible she had anymore, wasn't it?

Curiosity was new to Ulquiorra. He never felt the need to be curious. Aizen-sama informed him of most plans, and the other arrancar's behaviors were trivial to the fourth espada. Unfortunately, he was not immune to the strange tendencies of bright orange-haired, fairy wielding humans.

He had barely paused to announce himself before entering the normally cheerless room. Her voice wasn't horrible, nowhere near angelic, but it wasn't awful. From what Ulquiorra could tell it was about average.

Normally when you want someone's attention you would cough or at least make some notion to gain their focus. Ulquiorra did not; as such undignified sounds were below him and more on Grimmjow's level. Only two minutes had passed when she finally realized he was watching her.

"Ulquiorra-san? What are you doing here?" she asked once her face returned to it's normal, or at least normal for Hueco Mundo, color.

"Why do you behave so foolishly, woman?" he replied completely ignoring her question as he almost always did.

"What do you mean?" Her voice was soft as if she was genuinely confused by his question.

"Your friends are near death, you're a prisoner here, and the Soul Society will fall soon; yet you are singing, why?" Ulquiorra wasn't use to asking her why she did anything; he could careless as long as she remained healthy. In spite of his reasoning, he couldn't stop himself from asking her that seemingly simple inquiry. It didn't take her long to form a response.

"Because I still have hope that good will over come evil." She was serious, and he was in shock. How could she honestly believe that after all this time? He began to feel annoyance that he hadn't broken her of that habit, dispite earlier beliefs.

"Do you seriously believe that?" She gave a solemn nod of her head. "Reality isn't a fairytale. Good never triumphs over evil; it never has." For the first time, Ulquiorra wasn't trying to kill her hope. He was just stating the facts that he had always seen.

"Maybe this time will be good's turn." She smirked to herself like he wasn't even in the same room as her. "It's only fair." Orihime was a firm believer in justice and fairness. If Ulquiorra told her good had never won clearly it was good's turn.

He, on the other hand, couldn't believe she could be so naïve. Good's turn? It was a ridiculous notion. "Reality isn't fair, woman. Good and evil do not take turns. Evil will always win because it does what is necessary to win whereas good does what is right." He felt like he was talking to a small child rather than a nearly grown woman.

"This time will be different." Orihime announced barely above a whisper. She refused to be swayed. Her friends will not fail.

"How do you come to that conclusion? Just because you have hope that good will succeed? The evidence shows that your 'good' guys are losing." It was absurd. Her whole perception of the current situation was based on childhood stories that taught good will always defeat evil, which as he had stated, is false concept.

"I truly believe it will be different this time."

"Then you are the most foolish person involved in this war." He meant it. Anyone this naïve could only be considered foolish.

"Maybe, maybe not." She turned and stood in her normal position, facing the window that displayed the perfect night. Ulquiorra was about to critique her logic again until her voice stopped him.

She had begun singing again.


End file.
